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GATE Charitable Giving enjoys successful financial start

by Annie Cushman, director
GATE Charitable Giving

A little girl enjoys breakfast at the site of a water projet in Chiapas, Mexico.

In September of 2006 the FSPA added a new dynamic to its GATE ministry, a charitable giving arm dedicated to raising funds for the 12 non-profit organizations it is associated with in Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala. Since its inception GATE Charitable Giving has received more than $15,000 in donations, all from past GATE participants and their families. This is joyous in every sense of the word.

Often times when speaking with individuals about what GATE and GATE Charitable Giving is (what we do and why we do it) there is a lot of time spent defining philanthropy. But, when considering the audience of Insight, we realized that the FSPA not only understand philanthropy, they embody philanthropy. The commitment to the betterment of society, the Earth and life as a whole, is the foundation which grounds all those who dedicate their lives as FSPA. It is through this vision and wisdom that GATE has been able to broaden the cultural awareness of literally thousands of North Americans over the past 25 years. It is through this same vision and wisdom that GATE Charitable Giving is now able to bridge the needs of thousands of Latin Americans with new resources and individuals dedicated to alleviating those needs. This is not only impressive; it is monumental.

Underneath this basketball court is a water holding tank for the school, pictured here. GATE Charitable Giving supports water projects like this one.

The organizations GATE is associated with are all dedicated to providing basic human needs which fall under four broad categories:health and human services, education, water projects and agricultural advances. and agricultural advances. These organizations are usually small and run by natives with years of experience and a particular field, making each organization efficient and productive. An example of one of the efforts GATE supports is an organization that is dedicated to providing clean running water to villages near San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico. The total staff for this organization is one man, Sergio Castro. He is oftentimes referred to as a living saint by those who witness and are recipients of his work. Sergio's projects have received more donations than any other organization GATE supports. He is a man who has dedicated his life and his life's skills to the betterment of society. He is one man but he is supported by many.

It is awesome to realize that each day more people come to understand, believe and support the foundation of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. GATE and GATE Charitable Giving simply offer additional ways for people to access, understand and show their support globally for what the FSPA are grounded in and stand for.

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